Please help identify this snake

NSchmidt · 10-28-13, 03:38 AM

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for taking the time in trying to help me here.

I found this snake dead under my dustbin this morning. I can only conclude that it somehow got squashed. It is about 35cm long.

I cannot distinguish the coloring of the snake. It almost seems olive and gray. There is blue around his eyes and the coloring of his body fades into a light grey olivish color around the tail.

Hotchkiss · 10-28-13, 06:24 AM

I'm gonna have to say black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)

Derek Roddy · 10-28-13, 08:06 AM

House snake...harmless. You should have plenty of these around...very prolific.

D

Hotchkiss · 10-28-13, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek Roddy

House snake...harmless. You should have plenty of these around...very prolific.

D

Fairly sure it's a Black Mamba...

Wildlife of Zambia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

thinkbig317 · 10-28-13, 08:44 AM

Def not a mamba

Hotchkiss · 10-28-13, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkbig317

Def not a mamba

Wildlife of Zambia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I've looked on this list and Mamba seems to be the only one fitting that snake

Derek Roddy · 10-28-13, 09:13 AM

That list is 60% incomplete.

D

mmarchl23 · 10-28-13, 10:43 AM

I'm jumping on the "not a mamba" train also, hotchkiss, please don't try and use wiki as a reliable source. For anything. Those pages are editable by just about anyone.

StudentoReptile · 10-28-13, 04:37 PM

The head scalation does not match a mamba. And FYI, there are several species of African house snakes [recently split into different genera], and many of those species are quite variable in coloration and pattern. Plus, there are many species of small African colubrids that are unknown to most folks anyway.

I'm not even in the same station that the "mamba" train is at.

Hannibalcanibal · 10-28-13, 04:47 PM

Not sure what it is, but it sure as heck does not look like any mamba i've ever seen.

Tribute · 10-30-13, 01:08 AM

Gentlemen, is there anyway you can help me identify a snake my brother just found?
My threads aren't being posted and I need help on how to care for it.

Its currently in a small bottle with some openings.
Do I leave it in the sun, food etc?

NSchmidt · 10-31-13, 02:37 AM

Thank you very much to everyone who responded. After extensive research I found that the snake I found is a white lip herald snake. They are non venomous (thank goodness) and apparently they are very common in my area of residence. I originally also thought that it was a black mamba but the inside of his mouth was not black.

Dear Tribute, the snake that you posted is a red lip herald snake, also non venomous and very common in South Africa.

mistersprinkles · 10-31-13, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribute

Gentlemen, is there anyway you can help me identify a snake my brother just found?
My threads aren't being posted and I need help on how to care for it.

Its currently in a small bottle with some openings.
Do I leave it in the sun, food etc?

Everybody is ignoring you because you are either a 12 year old child, or possibly something even more irresponsible. You can't keep a snake in a jar. Moreover, you can't keep a snake in a jar in the sun. It'll overheat. Let the snake go free. It won't EAT for you in a jar because its going to be too stressed.

If we give you the proper name of the snake and care instructions, are you going to follow them? Are you going to go out and buy a heating pad for it? And a proper enclosure? I doubt it. It's just something your brother found and you want to keep it around for sh*ts. That's not what this site promotes and I can guarantee you that everybody here thinks you are a moron.

poison123 · 10-31-13, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistersprinkles

Everybody is ignoring you because you are either a 12 year old child, or possibly something even more irresponsible. You can't keep a snake in a jar. Moreover, you can't keep a snake in a jar in the sun. It'll overheat. Let the snake go free. It won't EAT for you in a jar because its going to be too stressed.

If we give you the proper name of the snake and care instructions, are you going to follow them? Are you going to go out and buy a heating pad for it? And a proper enclosure? I doubt it. It's just something your brother found and you want to keep it around for sh*ts. That's not what this site promotes and I can guarantee you that everybody here thinks you are a moron.

He already let it go.

ErikBush97 · 10-31-13, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistersprinkles

Everybody is ignoring you because you are either a 12 year old child, or possibly something even more irresponsible. You can't keep a snake in a jar. Moreover, you can't keep a snake in a jar in the sun. It'll overheat. Let the snake go free. It won't EAT for you in a jar because its going to be too stressed.

If we give you the proper name of the snake and care instructions, are you going to follow them? Are you going to go out and buy a heating pad for it? And a proper enclosure? I doubt it. It's just something your brother found and you want to keep it around for sh*ts. That's not what this site promotes and I can guarantee you that everybody here thinks you are a moron.

that was really harsh... He found a snake for the first time. What do you expect him to know about husbandry?? C'mon.... You don't know husbandry for snakes that are unknown to you either. Really mean reply, definitely wasn't called for.